Marco Gabbiadini

- Centre-back joined Sunderland from Millwall in 1957 for £20,000, aged just 20

- In 1979, he was voted the club’s best-ever player in a centenary poll of supporters

- Nicknamed ‘The King’, he started his Sunderland career with a 7-0 loss to Blackpool, but went on to become captain and led his team to promotion from the second tier in 1964

- In 1964, he came second to Bobby Moore for the Football Writers’ Player of the Year award

Brian Clough

- Made 401 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 26 times

- Moved to Bolton in 1969, and the former Republic of Ireland international managed Reading between 1972 and 1977

- Sunderland’s former training ground was named the Charley Hurley Centre in his honour

Niall Quinn (pictured)

- Striker joined Sunderland from Manchester City in 1996 for a club record fee of £1.3m

- Missed six months of his first season at the club through injury as they were relegated, but went on to form a prolific strike partnership with Kevin Phillips

- Scored the first goal at the Stadium of Light and helped Sunderland to promotion in 1999

- Had a testimonial match in 2002

- Republic of Ireland international made 220 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 69 times

- Left the club by retiring in 2002

- Returned to Sunderland in 2006 after heading the Drumaville Consortium’s takeover of the club, and became both the manager and chairman

- After four straight league losses, Quinn stepped down as manager, and stayed as chairman until 2011, before leaving the club in 2012

George Mulhall

- Outside left joined Sunderland in 1962 from Aberdeen

- Made 125 consecutive appearances for Sunderland: a club record

- Helped club to promotion to top tier in 1964

- Made 289 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 67 times

- Left the club in 1969 to join Cape Town City, and later managed clubs including Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers

Gary Bennett (pictured)

- Defender joined Sunderland from Cardiff City in 1984 for an initial fee of £65,000

- Scored two minutes into his Sunderland debut, against Southampton

- Played in 1985 Milk Cup final defeat to Norwich City, and captained Sunderland to promotion from the third tier in 1988, and helped them to promotion from the second tier in 1990.

- Played in 1992 FA Cup final against Liverpool, and had a testimonial match against Rangers before leaving in 1995

- Made 443 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 25 times, and is fifth on the club’s all-time appearance list

- Went on to play for Carlisle United, Scarborough and Darlington, and briefly managed Darlington.

- Bennett now works as a radio pundit and commentates on Sunderland games

Kevin Ball (pictured)

- Player who played in defence in midfield, joined Sunderland from Portsmouth in 1990 for £350,000

- Played in FA Cup final loss to Liverpool in 1992

- Twice won promotion to the Premier League with Sunderland, and captained the team in the heartbreaking play-off final defeat to Charlton Athletic in 1998

- Had a testimonial match against Sampdoria in 1999 before leaving to join Fulham later that year

- Made 388 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 27 times

- After retiring, Ball returned to the club on the backroom team, and has twice spent spells in caretaker charge. His current position is senior professional development coach

Marco Gabbiadini (pictured)

- Striker joined Sunderland from York City in 1987 for £80,000

- Struck up impressive partnership with Eric Gates, and helped Sunderland to the Third Division championship in his first season, 1987-88

- In his third season, he fired the club to promotion to the top flight, and scored the second in a famous play-off semi-final second leg win over Newcastle United at St James’s Park

- Made 185 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 87 times

- Left to join Crystal Palace in 1991, and later had spells for the likes of Derby County, Stoke City and Darlington

- Gabbiadini now works as a radio pundit

Brian Clough (pictured)

- Striker joined Sunderland from Middlesbrough in 1961 for £45,000

- Left Middlesbrough with a scoring record of 204 goals in 222 games

- Made 74 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 63 times, but a serious injury originally suffered in 1962 forced him to retire

- Joined Sunderland’s coaching staff after retirement, before going on to manage Hartlepool United

- Went on to become one of the best football managers of all-time, with league titles at Derby County and Nottingham Forest, as well as two European Cups with the latter

Kevin Phillips (pictured)

- Striker joined Sunderland from Watford in 1997 for a fee of up to £600,000

- Scored 35 goals in his debut season, which ended with play-off final heartbreak with a penalty shoot-out loss to Charlton Athletic

- His 25 goals the following season, despite missing four months with a broken toe, helped Sunderland to promotion to the Premier League

- Became the first Englishman to win the European Golden Boot award in the 1999-2000 season, with 30 Premier League goals

- Enjoyed a prolific partnership with Niall Quinn, broke the club’s post-war scoring record and played for England, but left after Sunderland’s relegation in 2003

- Made 235 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 130 times

- Later went on to play for the likes of Southampton, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Crystal Palace, and now works as Leicester City’s first-team coach

Dave Watson

- Defender joined in 1970 from Rotherham United for £100,000

- Won FA Cup with Sunderland in 1973, scoring four goals on the cup run

- Capped 65 times at senior level by England and regarded as one of Sunderland’s greatest-ever defenders

- Started as a centre-forward at Sunderland before Bob Stokoe made him a centre-back

- Left in 1975 to join Manchester City for £175,000

- Made 212 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 33 times

Len Shackleton

- Inside left joined Sunderland from Newcastle United in 1948 for £20,000

- Went on to be capped five times by England and is considered a Sunderland legend.

- His goal against West Germany in 1954 was the last time a Sunderland player had scored for England before Darren Bent struck against Switzerland in 2010

- Was part of the Sunderland side which finished third in the top flight in 1950

- Made 348 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 100 times

- Left the club by retiring in 1957

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